Softball Making Short Trip Across Town Thursday Against North Carolina A&T

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GREENSBORO, N.C. – On Thursday, UNCG will battle for Gate City supremacy when it makes the short three-mile trip east to take on North Carolina A&T at 3:00 p.m. at Lady Aggie Softball Complex.

UNCG comes into the game boasting a 14-9 overall record after going 3-2 last week. The Spartans earned their first win over North Carolina since 2011 last Wednesday before splitting four games at the Spartan Classic over the weekend.

Nobody in the Spartan lineup is hotter than reigning Southern Conference Player of the Week Emily Acquaviva. The New Hartford, New York native batted .438 last week, including a 4-for-4 effort against the Tar Heels. During the five game stretch Acquaviva notched six RBIs and four runs scored.

Thursday’s game could very well feature the long ball. UNCG leads the SoCon with 21 home runs, including a league-high five apiece from Jordan Gontram (Wake Forest, N.C./Heritage) and Marisa Sholtes (Albany, N.Y./South Colonie Central). Meanwhile, the Lady Aggies have given up 17 bombs on the season.

NC A&T sits at 7-15-1 on the year, coming off of a 0-10 five-inning drubbing to Liberty on Tuesday in Greensboro. The Spartans and Lady Aggies have played one common opponent in Akron. UNCG defeated 8-6 at the Bailey Memorial Tournament in Kennesaw, Georgia, while NC A&T dropped a pair of games 1-6 and 5-6 at the Dolphin Invitational in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Lady Aggies are batting .249 as a team, led by Kimberly Brunson and her .367 batting average. Brunson has also posted team-highs in RBIs and home runs with 12 and three, respectively. Zadasia Waddell has made 16 appearances in the circle, including 13 starts, registering a 5-8 record with a 3.60 ERA.

The Spartans and Lady Aggies have met 44 total times, with the Blue and Gold coming out on top in 42 of those contests. Last season, UNCG bested NC A&T 6-0 at the UNCG Softball Stadium. The Lady Aggies last defeated the Spartans in 2009, a 2-3 road loss for UNCG.